A Bad Decision That Will Be Remembered

Posted on February 23, 2022 by tomcampenni

How do you take a couple of very good land use projects and then allow them to metamorphosize into a bad outcome? Just look at the actions of the BOCC, senior county staff, Growth Management, the applicants, and assorted others.

Courtesy of Pinterest

At the commission meeting on February 22^nd a proposal was brought forward that would introduce an entirely new land use classification known as rural lifestyle. It will allow for housing developments to occur on western lands in a clustered format outside the urban service boundary. I should add that this designation could apply anywhere in the county, but because it must have a minimum of 1000 acres, it would not likely happen in Jensen Beach.

The “procuring cause” was the Discovery project on Bridge Road. I have written extensively on why I believed this was a good project from day one. And it still is! In fact, the applicant said repeatedly at the transmittal hearing for the comp plan amendment that the new designation was not needed for his project. They would have come in under the exception process.

When dealing with staff, the applicant and more importantly his myriad of consultants began to think about not a plan amendment just for this project but to create an entirely new section of the plan that would apply countywide. That way, the consultants could bring other projects without going through all the steps that would be required under the special exception process every time.

There is another project on Bridge Road that goes over to Kanner Highway called Three Lakes. They presented their plan to Jupiter Island as a courtesy. It would have four golf courses and no residences. The development would contain golf cottages for members to use. These would not be for rent. In an earlier piece, I mistakenly wrote that members would rent these cottages. It is not allowed under the LDRs. And since they are for members, I don’t know what difference it would make if they were rented if one of the conditions was a time limit for use.

With 95% permeable and open space, it is another good project. No residents equate to needing no services. Ag land pays very little in taxes…golf courses pay a lot more. According to the plan the runoff is contained on site and irrigation will come directly from the St. Lucie Canal.

When I asked the developer’s rep if a new designation was needed for his project, the answer was no. They would go through the individual plan process. So how did we get this “rural lifestyle” classification?

I would imagine that ears perked up with the possibility of having all kinds of development outside the Urban Services Boundary if they played their cards right. The cards they had to play were a few compliant commissioners, staff members who saw an opportunity to play nice with their land consultant friends, senior staff who wanted to placate some of the commissioners, and an elite that couldn’t care less about what the everyday residents of the county wanted.

So, after hearing from many, many residents at the commission meeting who wanted the county to give more time for more explanation and outreach, the majority on the commission voted to transmit the plan amendment to Tallahassee. Nothing was going to prevent them from moving forward even without any demonstrated reason for the rush.

The very idea that after its transmittal and return in about 50 days, the commission will not vote to approve this is not to be believed. The sop to the public craving more information was that under the auspices of the Guardians, there will be a public hearing.

I have a couple of problems with this approach. One or possibly two informational meetings where citizens can ask questions is clearly not only the wrong format, but the Guardians are not experts in running these types of public meetings. They have their own agenda.

My second problem is that when the county went ahead and rewrote the CRA plan, they hired the Treasure Coast Planning Council to work with staff. But the important part of what occurred was that they had over 70 public meetings to iron out questions and concerns that residents and others had. This resulted in broad buy-in and agreement.

Opening our western lands to development is as important as the CRA project. Yet unless you were one of Martin County’s elites, you never saw this coming. A wink and a nod and some fast footwork by the dynamic duo of Smith and Ciampi with the silent encouragement of Jenkins has resulted in far less than what the people of Martin County deserve.

Regarding the plan itself, I have many questions about sewer and water being provided outside the urban service boundary (USB). I am not keen on package plants. Yet they have supposedly come a long way in the past few years. We need to hear from an unbiased expert on this matter. But running new utility lines outside the USB is something I don’t like either.

It would also seem to me that clustering homes makes sense instead of 20-acre ranchettes. That is the very definition of sprawl and bad planning. Isolated homes without amenities are not something any planner today can embrace.

Courtesy of Pinterest

That type of development has been available for decades, and it has not led to 20 acre-ranchette developments. The wealthy are generally not interested in being in the middle of nowhere without a place to have a drink or a round of golf. Besides if they desire the wide-open spaces, they probably have a 1000-acre Montana spread to call one of their homes. At the same time, most of the rest of us can’t afford the ranchette lifestyle. I guess that is why the county called it rural lifestyle instead of ranchette lifestyle.

For there will be sufficient open space under the proposed land use at least 70% including golf courses. And if they want to have more homes, the developer will need to set a minimum of 500 acres in conservation deeded to either a government or nonprofit. Another question arose about that which had some suggestive changes but the three commissioners are probably figuring it can be worked out during the informational meeting.

About a year ago, it was explained to me that there were several developers who just wanted to have golf clubhouses with no homes. I saw it then and still do as a way of preserving open space. Currently, most of that land is failed agricultural farms and ranches. There is probably no chance given today’s economics that it ever will again be used for that purpose. Golf clubhouses with no homes seemed like a great way to preserve property rights and keep Martin green. I thought one of the conditions could be to have a public trail or nature preserve as part of the deal for approval.

Now it is still open season and the only new or existing residents we will be accommodating in their golf course homes will be the rich and famous. The wealthy have no compunction about buying a home worth millions on a golf course with a clubhouse and other amenities in much smaller lots than 20, 5 or 1 acre, if it is elite enough and of course has a fence and guards to keep most people out.

All the double speak from the dais was just that. It reminded me of “You have to pass the bill so you can find out what is in it.” Commissioners Ciampi, Smith, and Jenkins, that is no way to vote on any legislation. It was nice of you to arrange for a session after your affirmative vote to give your constituents a chance to become educated. (As long as they can meet at your one or two appointed times at an appointed place.)

I thought Commissioner Heard would always be a no. It is so contrary to anything she believes that to think anything else would be foolish. With development issues, I disagree with her most of the time, but I respect her point of view and she gives a different perspective than my own.

In my mind Commissioner Hetherington was the standout. There is not anyone more business friendly and believing in property rights than her. Yet she cares about important items not being rushed and that constituents have the information. Hetherington would have been a yes vote on Discovery if it were a stand-alone project. She may still vote in favor with the adoption hearing after the public informational hearing.

The only thing all commissioners should remember is that the Guardians, developers, consultants, and the wealthy are not most of their constituents. Commissioners also need to consider the property rights of landowners. The bogus fear of 20-acre ranchettes popping up after years of not happening should not be a reason to change land use in a hurry.

Get the buy in of the everyday residents of Martin County. We know it can be done if the right steps are taken. It was proven with the CRA re-write. As my friend Tom Pine would say the “Good Ole Boys” win one more. Too bad for the county.

What We Owe Maggy…And All Of Martin County

Posted on February 21, 2022 by tomcampenni

Maggy Hurchalla has died at age 81 after a full and storied life. She had for many become as close to a saint as any mortal can. For others, Hurchalla was the devil incarnate.

She was actually neither one. Hurchalla was a dedicated environmentalist with sharp elbows that sometimes her opponents didn’t see coming. A five-time county commissioner, she was no stranger to the art of politics and knew how to line up her supporters when necessary.

Like many of us, she came to Martin County and fell in love with the place. A true believer of Everglades restoration and the “mother” of Martin County’s slow growth movement. She was equally at home paddling our rivers as speaking before groups of both admirers and detractors. She could be dogmatic, and her refusal to apologize for her actions regarding Lakepoint and its judgement against her proved that.

Photo From Conservation Fund

She was the architect of Martin County’s original comp plan. Many believe that it is what sets us apart from our southern and northern neighbors, and it is no doubt a big contributor to how we see ourselves. She was thought of as a link to our pioneer past and bulwark to the encroaching future.

Martin County is a place that has development battles on a regular basis. There may be another one brewing with the change in the comp plan being proposed. I know where Maggy would be on the issue. And I know where some of the development community is.

What I don’t know is where I stand on the proposed changes for adding a rural lifestyle land use designation. I doubt many members of the public know either…if they even know there is a change being proposed. There has been no outreach to everyday citizens. Sure, presentations have been made to the elite Guardians but not to the “Smith” or “Jones” families.

Recently, the county rewrote the CRA codes. There was extensive outreach to the people. It took some time, and the result was that our residents did not protest the adoption. No such outreach here. In fact, it is almost as if this is a hidden proposal.

Courtesy of Florida Politics

Whether you thought Maggy was a saint or a devil, Martin County owes the same level of scrutiny to this change to our comp plan as we had for the CRAs. Hurchalla is part of our history and so is her environmental and land use advocacy.

The best way to honor her would be to have a series of workshops and outreach when introducing any new land use so that it can be reviewed in the open. Without that level of outreach and transparency, it seems as if county government is trying to get one over on everyday Martin County residents. And that is something Maggy fought against, and we should too.

Annexation & Land Use

Posted on February 1, 2022 by tomcampenni

Once a parcel is annexed into the city, the City of Stuart often struggles with what land use to give the parcel.

The reason most people annex into the city is because Stuart allows for greater density than unincorporated Martin County. However, an annexation does not mean that the property owner is ready to do anything with the land. Sometimes, it can sit for years without a request to change the Future Land Use (FLU). During that time, it will keep the county’s zoning.

Once the landowner or developer is ready to build something, then he will come to the city and, as a first step in the process, ask for a FLU change. That is what happened with Costco, and for some, it was as if the world came to an end. So, upon annexation, should the city assign a future land use designation also?

Again, the Kanner CPUD became such a focal point because the county had given the property a zoning designation that allowed 5 homes per acre. Of course, that use was assigned decades ago. If that land use was allowed to stand, the property would have been worth a fraction of the amount that was paid.

There are two reasons a FLU is not assigned upon annexation. There is no idea what eventual use will be asked by the owner. The second reason is that if a land use is automatically given, then the commission may not need to weigh in when an eventual project is ready. Hard for a politician to bear.

After years of studying this very problem, I would contend that upon annexation, the land should be given the highest appropriate land use possible unless the owner wishes another one. But FLU needs to be part of the annexation.

Currently, a piece of land of approximately five acres on Willoughby that abuts the Kanner PUD is on the market for $3.295 million. That property was annexed into the city with its old Martin County land use. It isn’t being offered for sale at that price to build a few houses.

Interestingly, I have been told that the property is owned by a relative of Ms. Richards. She was the intervenor on the Costco parcel and wanted to keep the land use at 5 homes per acre. When this comes into the city, will she be fighting against the rezoning?

This parcel should be given the highest FLU now and that should be given the same land use as the Kanner CPUD. It is fair and is in conformity with the rest of its surroundings. It, too, is full of debris. Will Ms. Cartwright (the nemesis of the Costco development) treat her pal, Richard’s relative to the same tactics she is now employing with the Kanner CPUD mentioned in my companion pieces? It could result in the loss of couple of million dollars to the family of her ally and friend.

Is It Paradise Lost Or Another Junk Yard?

Posted on January 31, 2022 by tomcampenni

How many emails does it take to have the results that you seek? Robin Cartwright must think if she sends enough email, then she will have her results which is to stop the Kanner CPUD.

I have just read quite a few emails that she has sent to the city from late December through mid-January. She has claimed that the developer of the Kanner CPUD (Costco) has continuously exceeded what he is allowed to do with his permits. When pressed, however, for details about what exactly was wrong, she has only used generalizations such as, “We took a drone video this morning of the property. Please be advised that more than trails were cleared. Additionally, there are activities taking place on the property right now, which may or may not be “legal” as there is no silt fence nor chain link fence up…” An inspection made by the city building inspector showed no code violations going on.

The emails continued but without any proof of violations. At one point Mayor Matheson became involved. It appears he was giving direction to staff about going to the property. The development director sent an email to the building official on January 19^th referencing the mayor asking him to send someone out to the site. Photos taken from a drone by Cartwright were the basis of the complaint though no footage was forthcoming.

When asked by City Attorney Mike Mortell to provide evidence of violations she claimed were occurring, Ms. Cartwright told him to visit the site. So far, every visit to the site has revealed no violations. Mortell wrote to her that she had only made broad accusations as to what was being done in violation of a permit. There has been no specificity to any claim.

Mr. Nicolosi, the building official, visited the site on January 19^th. He walked the property and found no violations of the current permits. What he did find was that a pond that may or may not have had a DEP permit at the time of its creation was encroaching on the property from Lychee Tree Nursery. Nicolosi further found that “The Amy Busteed (3250 SE Willoughby) property has a building that is encroaching into the subject property. The building does not meet City of Stuart setbacks as well as constitutes a trespass as it is over the property line and inside the subject property according to the survey markers present.”

Nicolosi further states in his report, “The contractor contracted with a company to use ground penetrating radar and has located several buried dump sites. The results of the radar investigation indicates that at some time in the past, someone excavated the property and dumped trash and debris and then covered it up to conceal the illegal dumping. The trash includes motorcycles, boats, axels, machinery parts, tires, etc. Below are pictures of some of the debris that was found.”

Nicolosi’s report can be found here

FWC also went out and inspected and found no violations.

Adam & Eve in Paradise
Pinterest

Apparently the pristine nature of the property claimed by Cartwright on the site of what will be people’s homes and stores was not a natural wilderness but rather an old junk yard. And both properties where actual violations have occurred and been documented were those of Linda K Richards’ family (she was an intervenor the Costco suit). So much for stewards of an ecological paradise.

In her emails to the city, Ms. Cartwright repeatedly states that she or someone at her direction is flying a drone over private property. She is video recording images of the property without the property owner’s permission. That is in violation of Section 954.50 of Florida statute. here

The city should not continue to bother the owner and contractors without specific reference to what in the code is being violated. Thinking something is wrong should not trigger an inspection which costs taxpayers money. It is enough without proof now of wrongdoing on the site.

Is this behavior harassment? I don’t know. But I do know that if it keeps up, I would not be surprised to see court action. The developer is not looking to hurt anyone, but we are talking about millions of dollars…which is serious money. Patience may be running out.

Why Martin County Needs A Rural Resort Land Use

Posted on January 10, 2022 by tomcampenni

Once again, Martin County finds itself without the right development code in place to move projects to completion.

I have written about the Discovery Land project on Bridge Road before. It will bring extremely expensive homes to the county in a resort setting. For all intents and purposes, there will be millions in tax revenue and require little in county services. Those who believe that placing enough roadblocks up will deter development are dreaming.

Suburban Sprawl

Discovery will bring many fewer units than what would be built in a more traditional development project. The choice is several hundred units worth millions each or several thousand worth $300,000 each. The latter would require many county services, and the former would not.

Most of the land in the Discovery project will remain undeveloped. In addition to the construction jobs which are always temporary, there will be a slew of others to support the resort plus ancillary businesses like shops and restaurants. To me it has always been an easy choice…the feared Browardization of thousands of rooftops or a few rich ones.

That doesn’t mean that development of Discovery will not come without rules. Right now, it does not seem current code quite fits the “rural resort” nature of the project. I understand staff and the applicant are attempting to write the code but is that the best way to go forward?

This project and others that may come after may be more than the staff can handle. And to rely on the applicant to help define the code changes necessary may not be the best for the county. The county needs to hire a consultant to expeditiously write what is necessary to move forward. Commissioner Smith is very fond of the Treasure Coast Regional Planning Council. As time goes by, I have become a convert.

The county should get a quote from the council and others if it wants to write the best code for “rural resorts” for the benefit of all the parties. That would also take an immense pressure off the Growth Management department. At the same time as a neutral third party, the council would be able to more fairly hear the concerns of all sides.

There are several other projects that are in the wings that would fit the rural resort criteria, e.g., very high-end golf courses. These are not golf course communities but rather places where the rich fly in to play golf for a couple of days like Michael Jordan’s existing club. This type of development would be preferred to having endless rooftops in western Martin.

In my mind, this is smart development. People have a right to develop the property they own. Let’s make it easy for them to do so by creating a rural resort classification. At some point, the Harmony development, and others like it will end up being built if alternatives are not provided. In my opinion, that is what most Martin County residents want to see.

The government does not own the property…private property owners do. A well-written land classification may help keep endless seas of rooftops from the area. I think that is the smart way of having the inevitable growth.

Sometimes Politics & Elections Do Not Go Together

Posted on December 9, 2021 by tomcampenni

School boards across the country have been in the crosshairs of parents, teachers, and state officials this year.

Much of the public’s rancor is of the boards own making. In some part, this is because a school board member position in Florida does not come with all the power that the public believes it does. The ability of board members to raise budgets, pick textbooks, and even decide on what goes on inside schools is dictated by Tallahassee. And Tallahassee is a stern task master.

For more than a decade, the “Lords of Tallahassee” more formally known as the legislature, have pre-empted more and more authority from local control. Local elected officials see quite early on what little is in their purview to decide. Partisan political power is at the root of the problem.

The governor has decided that being a conservative was not good enough. He also wanted to be a populist. That resulted in politics interfering with home rule authority. I agree on his school policies in many instances. Yet he is going about it with all the make-believe tough talk populism that makes public discourse so grating on a civil society.

Over twenty years ago, the voters of Florida decided to make school board races non-partisan in a ballot initiative. The legislature now wants to reverse course and make sure that partisanship enters schools. Senator Gruters is the chair of the Ethics & Elections committee and is pushing the legislation. He is also chair of the Republican Party of Florida.

What will happen if the races go back to partisan politics in Martin County…probably nothing. All five current school board members are registered Republicans as are all five members of the county commission and the five constitutional officers. Do you know why everyone here is a registered Republican? It is because in deep red Martin County that is the only way you can be elected.

If we inject a partisan primary into school board races, then many times Democrats and NPA voters will be prevented from voting. One county commissioner regularly closes out races by having an ally run as a write-in candidate. If a primary race is closed by a write-in candidate, then only members of the party can vote in that primary. The last time, the commissioner had a high school student as his opponent in the general election. Is this what we want for our school boards in Martin County a decision by only 40% of the voters?

Florida is becoming a state where locally elected officials have no authority to enact policies and ordinances that their constituents want. From taxing authority to whether your next-door neighbor can open a business in his living room is now decided by Tallahassee.

The legislature has consciously determined, along with Governor DeSantis, to not allow elected local leaders to make policy in their communities. If everything is decided by the 160 senators and representatives in the Florida legislature and the governor, then we have a politburo and not a representative government. Our liberty is being taken away little by little by the consolidation of political power in the hands of fewer and fewer.

They can shout how they are protecting the people, but the people have fewer ways of making their voices heard. Diffusion in making political decisions is the guarantor of our liberty. Consolidation of power will ultimately have despotic results. Politicizing school board races will aid in that consolidation.

Supposed Party Gains Are Actually Losses

Posted on November 27, 2021 by tomcampenni

Florida’s Republican party recently boasted that, for the first time ever, there are more Republicans than Democrats registered in the state.

That statement in and of itself is true. However, what that statement does not tell you is that party registration for the Republicans fell in 2021…. just not as much as it did for the Democrats. There were 142,414 fewer voters picking either party. The only gain in numbers were for Non-Party Affiliation and minor parties.

The largest loss for the Democrats occurred in Miami-Dade where they were down by 37,723 voters to the Republicans loss of 3,592. In three counties, Sarasota, Volusia, and Sumter, Democrats increased membership. Republicans had gains in 13 counties including next door in St. Lucie. Martin County, long a bastion for Republicans, lost 1607 voters in 2021 as compared to 2020. So, what gives?

Florida and the United States may just be tired of celebrating party over everything. More and more voters may be saying that they are just not interested in the incessant political wars that Democrats and Republicans want to wage with each other. Could it be that many voters are tuning out and refusing to be labeled?

Rationality may be the death knell for political parties. Yet those that remain within the party fold are more partisan. While the Founders never wanted political parties and warned against factionalism, our entire political system is tied to having “them” and “us.”

If we cannot get a handle on this hatred by members of one party over those in another, we may find ourselves increasingly edging toward a civil breakdown. We are moving closer and closer to one party states with gerrymandered districts. That has and will continue to lead to the extremism that Madison, Hamilton, and Jay warned to beware of.

Jensen Mooring Field: Will It Be Folly Or Resource?

Posted on November 15, 2021 by tomcampenni

Will it be another Martin County folly or a valuable resource? That is the question I have with the viability of the Jensen Beach Mooring Field.

I am not yet ready to pronounce it as an intrusion into the private sector that will go down as another example of commission hubris. There could be a need for the service and a public that is willing to pay for it. But I have my doubts.

We should not forget that the first dock built needed to be torn out because the engineers failed to consider currents and wave action. We should also bear in mind that there is no law that requires boaters to be tied to a mooring ball instead of just dropping anchor anywhere outside of a navigation channel.

I am quite familiar with mooring fields because the Stuart Anchorage is located off my dock. Those that choose to use a ball are responsible boaters. Their vessels are pumped out so that their sewage doesn’t hit the water. Those boaters are out of the navigation channels. They are good neighbors.

Then occasionally, there will be what I call a boat bum who just drops anchor. The last boat bum simply dropped anchor at the end of my dock and was there for about three years. His sailboat had no workable engine and I never saw the sail unfurled. Yet he had a registration sticker which was all he needed to have. That is when I learned that a mere citizen cannot report someone dumping waste. It must be law enforcement that sees the violation being committed.

The owner of the boat was in the hospital and/or jail for a prolonged period. The registration expired. Law enforcement was able to then declare that the boat was abandoned and remove it. That may have been one of the ten best days of my life when that occurred.

My point is that a mooring field is not going to stop illegal dumping or prevent anchors from destroying sea grasses. It is not going to stop some inexperienced owner from anchoring his boat improperly before a hurricane and the vessel winding up destroying a dock when it comes lose.

What the Jensen Beach Mooring Field may do is provide a cheaper alternative to boaters who do not want to pay a private marina. Stuart’s Anchorage works because it is close to downtown. You can catch the tram once you dock your dinghy at the Marina. There is a Publix within walking distance. While you can walk to downtown Jensen Beach, it doesn’t have the same allure.

I am willing to give it the season to see whether it was the right thing to do or another waste of taxpayer money. Even if it is arguably the right thing to do to prevent dumping, preserving sea grass beds, and shorelines from being ravaged, will it? Boaters must stop throwing anchors down for free and begin paying to have their vessels safely moored. Without enforcement capabilities, I think we know the answer already.

What Happened to DeSantis

Posted on November 2, 2021 by tomcampenni

When DeSantis was first elected governor, I thought that Florida had a conservative small government Republican in Tallahassee.

He said that he believed in local governments handling most issues in their jurisdictions. He claimed to be someone that did not believe in interfering in the private sector. DeSantis wanted to have parental control of education. Only the last sentence is still operational. What happened?

DeSantis decided to run for president. He went from being a principled conservative to a toady populist pandering for votes among the Trumpets. A true consistent conservative philosophy was sacrificed to the roar of the crowd.

At one point, being a populist meant being like Huey Long. Long was a governor and senator from Louisiana in the 1930s. He promised social and infrastructure programs to his base of poor white farmers and country folk. Unlike today’s supposed men of the people, he grew up in very reduced circumstances. Long attended a bible college without graduating. He went to Tulane Law School for one year and eventually ended up passing the bar. In 1935, he was assassinated by a member of the establishment who loathed his populism

The populists of today are mostly the product of upper middle-class families. They are graduates of some of the most elite universities in the country. DeSantis went to Yale and Harvard. His roots are far from the coal mines, hard scrabble farms, and inner cities of men and women who did pull themselves up by their bootstraps. The ‘Populist-in Chief,” former President Trump, had a maid, cook, and chauffer to tend to his needs as a child. And his father Fred was worth hundreds of millions of dollars when he died. Trump senior bequeathed a large portion of that wealth to his son. Donald graduated from Ivy League Penn…as he will quickly tell you.

My biggest disappointment in DeSantis currently is his anti-market and pro-interference stance for business in Florida. He has repeatedly threatened businesses telling them that they cannot mandate vaccines for their employees and masks for their customers. This is the antithesis of allowing the markets to decide.

Let me be up front. I think that there should be a vaccine mandate for all. However, I also recognize that the governor and legislature have the final say. I may disagree on the policy but not the state’s ultimate authority on this issue. What I do not think is appropriate is the governor dictating to private businesses what they can require of employees and customers.

It becomes a slippery slope when government begins “warning” citizens and businesses about what is appropriate. If companies or individuals want to stop supporting others for their stands on issues, then that is their right. They shouldn’t feel as if Governor DeSantis is the final arbiter.

This newfound populism in the governor’s message can quickly become tin pot dictatorship territory. If DeSantis wants to run for president, he need not copy anyone. His message of principled conservatism will do well in the primaries. For I vote, too, and I have not missed voting except twice for any office in over 50 years. There are plenty of people like me.

We Need To Think Realistically About Martin County’s Future

Posted on October 25, 2021 by tomcampenni

There is no doubt that I am in support of good infill projects in Stuart and Martin County’s CRAs. That does not mean I endorse those projects that are poorly planned or disregard the codes and comp plan.

Martin County is on the cusp of deciding whether it will embrace sprawl or embark on a different course. The county can either continue the westward creep of more suburban mid-level 1960s-type single family home development or capitalize on our natural beauty. The Discovery/Becker Farms joint venture off Bridge Road is a unique opportunity to do just that.

Silo Ridge in New York’s Hudson Valley has been popular with celebrities like Tom Brady

The project is a very wealthy man’s dream. It will be a place where the home buyer will spend millions to build a 3rd or 4^th home for his collection. There will be no additional need for law enforcement or schools. The most that county services will have to do will be an occasional ambulance call. The real estate tax impact is estimated at $25 million with very few homes having a homestead exemption. Within the next decade, the alternative would be thousands of homes being built there instead of a few hundred.

The BOCC will also have the opportunity to approve the many high-end private golf courses coming our way. They will have no homes built, but there will probably be a few guest cottages and a club house at each. People will come from all over the world to become members and play on these courses. The impact to our environment will be minimal.

The private courses will also add millions to our tax rolls. Not to mention Discovery owners and golfers eating in our restaurants, buying goods from our merchants, and employing hundreds of residents. Or we can build thousands of homes and become what we have tried to avoid.

Many very naïve people believe that the BOCC or Stuart Commission can just say no. They cannot. There are such things as property rights. The current lawsuit that Harmony has against the county is all about property rights. That is in addition to the millions spent in previous lawsuits and settlements because of the disregard of individual rights.

What government can do is help shape what will be built. Development codes need to reflect that vision.

For those that want to see more housing, then it should be done in the city and CRAs. In these areas, there are quite a few underutilized properties. Just look at the Federal Highway corridor. Single story centers with empty stores and acres of empty parking lots. Adaptive re-use would give us mixed use developments with buildings set closer to the streets and parking in the rear or in some cases in parking garages.

It is time we stop the silly illusions some have that those empty parcels within the city and county Urban Service Boundary are going to remain vacant. People are going to come here to live and work from other parts of Florida and the country. We all need to recognize this and stop the propaganda that persists regarding some governmental power to prevent development.